Socio-Psychological Aspects of Group Processes

The original working paper had no abstract. The purpose of the working paper was to document previous research undertaken in group research (broadly) from the socio-psychological perspective. Some of this directly related to work on GSS, some of it was antecedent to that research

PROCESS SUPPORT FOR THE OPTION GENERATION PHASE IN WIN-WIN NEGOTIATIONS: COMPARISON OF THREE COMMUNICATION MODES

Analytically oriented Negotiation Support Systems have been studied and developed for decades, but they have not become widely adopted by negotiation practitioners. Along with the phenomenal growth of e-commerce, a need has arisen for information systems that support the parties’ “soft” negotiation processes and communications in addition to the “hard” quest for a mathematically optimal solution. In this study, we report an experiment about applying three different communication modes in integrative win-win negotiations following the principled negotiation tactics. We focus on integrative negotiation’s dialoguing phase where the parties share information, brainstorm options together, and establish an appropriate atmosphere. We compare computer-supported same-time same-place negotiations aided by group support systems (GSS) - either anonymously or non-anonymously - with the control treatment group that uses verbal communication backed up with flipcharts and Post-it notes. Due to the recent social media revolution, the role of anonymity might have changed from the GSS research results obtained decades ago. Our goal is to find out possible differences in the negotiation outcomes: meeting satisfaction and productivity. We discovered that all three modes worked well when used together with a carefully structured and facilitated process, although the number of unique ideas generated was significantly higher in the computer-supported groups

Group inquiry to aid organisational learning in enterprises

This paper describes a method for surfacing and exploring ‘situated knowledge’ in medium-sized organisations, with employee groups utilising a ‘low impact’ form of group support system (GSS), based on wireless handsets. Some results of piloting this method are summarised and one intervention is presented in detail. The method encouraged organisational members to give voice to the emotions and politics of leadership and learning in organisations, and helped to articulate how situated knowledge was ignored, as well as utilised. The method is practical, and may be used by organisations for themselves to aid the development of group as well as individual reflection, to stimulate the consideration of change

Group support systems features and their contribution to technology strategy decision-making: A review and analysis

Collective decision-making processes require careful design considerations in organizations. On one hand, the inclusion of a greater number of actors contribute to a wider knowledge base, on the other, it can become a diffuse process and be distorted from the principles initially established. This paper observes a specific collective decision making process in organizations—technology strategy formulation—and, through a critical review of the literature, analyzes how the advances in features of group support systems support improvements in different stages of this process. This paper also discusses the implications of GSS appropriation in group dynamics.This research was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/ BD/ 33727/ 2009), within the framework of the MIT Portugal Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Discussants and the Quality of Interactions at Conferences

Discussants play an important role in conferences, yet little practical advice exists to help them make best use of their time beyond informal guidelines. Two new approaches to the intellectual discussion of conference papers are introduced: Group Support Systems and Conversational Learning. The discussant\u27s role is illustrated with reference to each of these approaches. Recommendations for discussant practice are presented

Adaptivenes in Virtual Teams

Computer supported teams are capturing the attention of academics and practitioners as organisations increasingly put them into practice as virtual teams. The practical relevance of current research into computer supported teams could be increased if greater attention is paid to organisational challenges as they form the context within which virtual teamwork takes place. A model of organisational challenges mapped against processes of adaptation is developed to highlight principle factors affecting virtual teams. A sample of current research groups studying computer-supported teams is plotted onto this map to reveal the extent to which current research addresses these contextual factors. From this map insights are distilled with respect to what is known and is not known about virtual teams. This paper concludes with specific research needs in the study of virtual teams

THE RATIONALIZATION OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: IMPLICATIONS OF GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR POWER, SYMBOLISM AND FACE-VVORK

Current Group Support System (GSS) theory is heavily influenced by a rational model of human behavior, which in turn leads to some fundamental assumptions about what meetings are all about and what can be done to improve them. The purpose of this paper is to examine these fundamental assumptions, but from a perspective other than the more typical one of small-group processes and dynamics. Instead, we draw on organizational theories of power and politics, organizational culture and symbolism, and interactionism to provide new vantage points from which to examine these fundamental GSS objectives. Each of these perspectives represent fundamentally different philosophies on the nature and processes that characterize organizational meetings. From this theoretical triangulation, a much richer picture of organization meetings emerges. In particular, it becomes apparent that the rich shading and nuances of meaning that characterize organizational meetings are not adequately captured by a strictly small-group based, rational model of human behavior. To hope to understand how technology will change the dynamics of decisionmaking, hidden agendas, veiled threats, hidden meanings, the formation and disintegration of alliances, the shifting nattire of power and status, to name but a few, a theory base as rich as these dynamics will be needed